This online course is ideal preparation for students thinking of studying medicine at university or medical school, particularly those applying to study medicine in the UK.

Course Summary

This course includes:

4 X Interactive Tutorials

Online quizzes and exams

Access to the course discussion forum

Course worksheets and case studies

ORA Certificate of completion

Overview

Do you have an interest in health and the human body? Are you considering a career in medicine? Or are you just curious and want to find out exactly what doctors do? The scope of medicine is extremely broad and varied – no two jobs in medicine are the same.

If you’re wondering whether to study Medicine at University and want to know a bit more about what a medical degree involves, as well as the different career paths that can be followed, then ORA Prep’s Introduction to Medicine course is for you.

This 4-tutorial programme is designed to give you an overview of the different disciplines involved in studying for a medical degree, helping you to make an informed and careful decision on whether or not to apply for Medicine. You will be introduced to the major topics that are likely to be covered in a first year university course as well as the major areas of medicine in which you can specialise later on in your studies, offering an insight into what studying medicine is like as well as giving you material to bolster your application. You will also take a closer look at the respiratory system, using it as a case study for medical analysis. See below for a detailed breakdown of the topics covered in the different tutorials.

This tutorial will address the major questions that you, as a potential doctor, will be asking: Is medicine for me? What is involved in studying medicine? What are some of the common specialities and careers? It will then move on to tackle the broader questions that have challenged doctors since the advent of medicine itself: what are health and disease?

There is always a huge emphasis on the ‘science’ of medicine, but we also cannot underestimate the importance of the ‘art’ of medicine, such as being sensitive to a person’s needs and concerns, gathering a comprehensive understanding of their situation and giving clear information about diagnosis, treatment options and management. This tutorial will therefore provide you with an understanding of the importance of good communication in medicine, get you to appreciate the framework for approaching an ethical issue, and will increase your awareness of social and cultural differences.

In the past 24 hours, you breathed in and out about 200,000 times. In a lifetime, you will have taken more than half a billion breaths. But have you ever stopped to wonder how our bodies keep breathing? Breathing is a basic human need which we tend to take for granted, unaware of its utmost importance in the body, until we experience problems with it. This tutorial will guide you through the respiratory system and its potential problems and will teach you some of the key components of a basic medical examination.

This tutorial will focus on a common case that you might see in a general surgical ward: a patient who comes to the doctor with abdominal pain. The tutorial will lead you through how a doctor would go about helping the patient by examining the anatomy of the abdomen, looking at the symptoms and diagnoses of abdominal pain, and by considering the appendix and its related illness: appendicitis.

Key Details

Course Pre-requisites

Advanced level of EnglishAn interest and enthusiasm for science and the human body This course would suit students studying towards A-level Biology or equivalent, and in particular those interested in university study of Medicine.

Course Level

For students applying to university to study Genetics, Medicine, Biology or related subjects

gain an understanding of the type of work carried out by doctors and medical practitioners

gain useful material to help you in university applications and interviews

understand the various pathways that a medical degree can take

talk with confidence about why you want to do a medical degree

gain an insight into fundamental concepts of Medicine

Course Author

Dr Evelyn Chan

Evelyn Chan is an Australian-trained doctor with a passion for medical education and public health. She enjoys teaching high school and medical students, and believes learning about health should be fun, practical and relevant to every day life.

Oxford Royale Academy is a part of Oxford Programs Limited, UK company number 6045196. The company contracts with institutions including Oxford University for the use of their facilities and also contracts with tutors from those institutions but does not operate under the aegis of Oxford University.

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